The invention relates to an ammunition container according to the preamble of Claim 1 and an inner packaging for this container.
Ammunition containers of this kind are known, for example, from CH 679 181 and are used in barrels or ammunition batteries, in which a large number of ammunition containers are stacked on a load-bearing pallet with the intention of saving as much space as possible. These load-bearing pallets are generally of standard dimensions determined for a transport vehicle, thus predetermining the stacking volume available for the highest possible number of ammunition containers.
These known ammunition containers comprise a cylindrical container for each ammunition unit, the chamber of which container has inner support elements, for example of a foamed plastics material, cardboard or rubber, for the ammunition which is to be transported.
DE 195 14 988 and DE 197 48 829 present support elements of a known type for ammunition in ammunition containers. In these cases the ammunition is held in an inner push-in sleeve over the entire length, the projectile nose being surrounded by an insert which holds the ammunition in a central position along the longitudinal axis of the container with a further inner push-in sleeve and an adapter part.
An essential object of an ammunition container is to safely transport the ammunition from one place to another, which presupposes that the ammunition can be easily admitted to and removed from the ammunition container, and that the ammunition is protected during transport. This object must also be guaranteed following the action of mechanical stresses.
A disadvantage of known ammunition containers is the fact that, although the ammunition supported in these is surrounded by a protective container, the actual ammunition container is not always equal to the high mechanical stresses which may act from outside. Thus impacts as occur if the container is dropped, for example, may damage a hinged lid closing the ammunition container such that it can no longer be operated. Although the ammunition may then still be functional, it can no longer be removed from the container. Similar limitations in operability may also occur if the circumferential surface of the ammunition container undergoes substantial deformation.
Modern ammunition containers must therefore not only be safely stacked, but must also remain functional after being dropped onto the lid from a height of 2.5 m. Moreover, the ammunition should not automatically detonate if the loaded container is dropped from 12.5 m. As regards the thermal resistance of an ammunition container, this is required to resist burning at 800xc2x0 C. undamaged over 5 minutes. In this case the adverb xe2x80x9cundamagedxe2x80x9d covers both the actual ammunition container and the ammunition stored in the latter. Ammunition containers should also be able to resist the penetration of small-calibre projectiles.
A further disadvantage lies in the fact that known ammunition containers are difficult to load and unload.
The object of the invention is therefore to provide an advantageous ammunition container. A particular aim is to develop the ammunition container of the type initially mentioned such that it remains functional under mechanical and thermal stresses acting from outside. The ammunition container should also be easy to load and unload. A further particular aim is to provide a stackable ammunition container which can be efficiently manipulated and easily opened even after being dropped onto the lid.
This object is solved according to the invention by an ammunition container having the features of Claim 1 and/or 12. The subclaims 2 to 11 and 13 to 21 relate to further, advantageous embodiments. The ammunition container consists in particular of a stackable outer container and an inner container. An essential feature lies in the fact that the outer container is provided with a reinforcing frame which projects beyond a hinged lid which is disposed at the front side of the ammunition container and has a closing lever. The reinforcing frame therefore surrounds the hinged lid with closing lever to protect it against mechanical damage.
The reinforcing frame prevents mobile parts of the ammunition container from undergoing mechanical deformation and damage, as may occur if it is dropped onto the lid region. The hinged lid thereby remains fully operable even following substantial mechanical stresses.
The possibility of unloading the containers also remains unaffected by any deformation of the ammunition container. For this purpose the inner tube is just connected to the outer container at its front side and at its bottom, so that deformations of the outer container do not also cause deformation of the inner tube.
A particularly advantageous development of the invention is characterised by the fact that the hinged lid which closes the inner tube is directly articulated to the reinforcing frame according to the invention. Relative movements and positioning tolerances between the inner tube and the hinged lid can thus be accommodated by an appropriately formed seal between the hinged lid and the inner tube.
It is, moreover, of particular advantage for the closing lever to comprise lever claws which act on closing straps of the reinforcing frame. The entire hinged lid-closure thus forms a unit which is reinforced per se and is still operable after being dropped.
A pressure-compensating valve is advantageously disposed at the hinged lid for pressure equalisation purposes. The pressure-compensating valve is closed when the closing lever is in the closed state and only opens when the closing lever is opened.
In order to ensure that a large number of ammunition containers can be stacked as safely and compactly as possible, the outer container advantageously has a substantially square cross section and the upper and lower stacking faces of the ammunition container have complementary interlocking structures. The upper stacking face is in this case provided with depressions for accommodating carrying handles in a protected manner.
It is particularly advantageous for the inner tube to comprise at its inward pointing bottom face a fastening element for fastening packaging elements which directly surround the ammunition. The fastened packaging element therefore remains in the inner tube when the ammunition is removed at the place of use, thereby simplifying and accelerating the removal process.
In a further, preferred embodiment the packaging elements are configured such that it is not just the fastened packaging elements, but alsoxe2x80x94as far as possiblexe2x80x94all the packaging elements, also called inner packaging in the following, which remain in the ammunition container when the ammunition is removed.
In a preferred embodiment the inner packaging also has a support function acting in the longitudinal direction of the ammunition container to prevent any displacement of the ammunition in the longitudinal direction during transport. It is of crucial importance, in particular if the ammunition container is dropped to preventxe2x80x94or virtually preventxe2x80x94the ammunition from being displaced in the longitudinal direction inside the ammunition container, in spite of the acceleration occurring. There is a risk of the ammunition automatically detonating if it is subjected to an impact on the occasion of such a displacement.
In a preferred embodiment the inner packaging is configured such that it has a closed position in which the ammunition is firmly held in the longitudinal direction and in the radial direction and such that it can be changed over to a manipulating position in which the ammunition holding mechanism is released and the ammunition can be pulled out of the inner tube or out of the inner packaging. It should also be possible to reverse the procedure. For example, it should be possible to introduce the ammunition into the inner packaging when the inner packaging is in the manipulating position, and it should then be possible to change the inner packaging over into a closed position in order to firmly hold the ammunition.
A further preferred development is distinguished by the fact that the interspace between the inner tube and the outer container is filled with an absorption material. This absorption material on the one hand is used for thermal insulation purposes and on the other increases safety against the penetration of small-calibre ammunition. The ammunition container can therefore also be exposed to comparatively high temperatures or be fired on without the packaged ammunition directly suffering damage.
The ammunition container according to the invention may be provided on both sides with a hinged lid for practical use on a load-bearing standard pallet. The ammunition container is thenxe2x80x94with appropriately adapted inner packaging elementsxe2x80x94also suitable for transporting relatively small projectiles, which can be introduced into a container two at a time from both sides.
In a preferred embodiment the palletized ammunition containers are provided with a common bottom plate and cover plate. In this case the ammunition containers are held together by the bottom plate and the cover plate as well as further aids which may be provided, such as bands.